Padraig Harrington bogeyed his final hole in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational first round on Thursday but his biggest disappointment came shortly before he teed off.
'I was really, really looking forward to the guy on the first tee announcing "The Open Champion" and he didn't do it,' Irishman Harrington told reporters after carding a two-over-par 72.
'They used to have a guy here who went into a lot of theatrics announcing the name and they sacked him because he did too much. I wish he was there today.
'He just said: "Padraig Harrington, Ireland". I was gutted! I was looking forward to it for the last 24 hours.'
Harrington, the world number six, said he struggled at Firestone Country Club in his first competitive round since winning his first major title at Carnoustie 11 days ago.
'It was a hard day for me,' the 35-year-old added. 'I worked hard for the score. 72 is not a bad return but I didn't hit enough fairways.
'I am still in the tournament although it was annoying to drop one at the last. I got myself into position but I didn't play well enough. I need to get back into things.'
The popular Irishman mixed three bogeys with a solitary birdie to end a sweltering day at Firestone five strokes behind early leader Hunter Mahan of the US.
'I was a long, long way away from what I was in the last round of the Open in terms of my focus,' said Harrington, who became the first European to win a major in eight years with his playoff victory over Spaniard Sergio Garcia.
'I've got to build back up. It's a cruel game. It doesn't last.'
Asked to pinpoint one abiding memory from Carnoustie, he replied: 'The actual putt dropping on the last hole.
'I have a lot of memories of the Open but for the actual putt, the last six inches of it going into the middle of the hole, there was a sense of disbelief.
'There should be no doubt because it went right in the middle, no question. But I don't think a putt at perfect pace going right into the middle has ever been doubted so much!'
